Patricia (Patty) Shull, Career Biography

Patty successfully transfers change capability skills to individuals, teams, and organizations using a proven methodology that produces an easy-to-follow roadmap applicable to any situation. Her extensive experience ranges from multinational corporations, to entrepreneural start-ups, to not-for-profits, and to individuals experiencing conflicts. Her industry experience includes oil & gas, healthcare, technology, and higher education.

She is known as a ‘master’ change facilitator and coach who provides clarity and direction during times of complex transitions while winning people’s trust and enhancing their dignity. For over fifteen years, Patty has tracked the outcomes of her work both as a personal coach and as a corporate consultant. For example, she was promoted every 18 months during a 5-year period by a Fortune 100 company for her ability to solve problems and provide resolution to teams ‘stuck’ in conflict. She is competent working either in the board room or on the factory floor. A unique offering, not often found in her field, is her use of humor to engage people. She’s known for turning ordinary company meetings into sketch comedy shows.

Successful change projects include mentoring leaders at various companies to achieve:  a new corporate record for the fastest return to shareholders in U.S. history at a Fortune 100 computer manufacturing company; achieving the #1 export award by the President of the U.S.; facilitating a multi-year, international SAP implementation; and leading a 3-year, mission-critical IT department turn-a-round. Patty can be counted on to give an organization the means to thrive in the face of constant transition.

SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Led top executives at Fortune 500 Corporation in first global change management H.R. initiative to mitigate risks associated with implementing SAP, enterprise-wide software globally. Mission-critical IT program supporting manufacturing, finance, and inventory operations. Revenues increased from $5.7 billion to $20 billion in 4 years.
• Facilitated the merger and start-up operations of 11 incubator companies into one publically-traded internet services company. Resulted in profit of $3.5 million.
• In partnership with CIO, designed an IT department turn-around resulting in a $2.4 million project cost avoidance the first 3-months; the first enterprise-wide project governance structure based on business priorities; a project management office to track processes; and implementation of a new enterprise-wide software program changing manual hospital medical records into electronic medical records.
• Reduced recruitment and employee on-boarding cycle times by 50% by designing and leading a process-improvement initiative at a Fortune 100 global company.
• Restructured and managed global Fortune 500 headquarters training center, budgets, vendor contracts and staff for 6,000 employees.
• Increased payroll ROI by $200,000 annually by mentoring 4 senior leaders how to improve the performance of a 200-person, mission-critical, technical staff.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & SUCCESSION PLANNING

• Led international competency study to determine key competencies predicative of marketplace success; created performance dashboard approved by Fortune 100 Board of Directors.
• Coached and mentored over 500 leaders to achieve business objectives; known for establishing rapport with the most resistant leaders, providing them with critical feedback to resolve issues.
• Designed 1st succession-planning process and automated planning tool for a Fortune 500 computer manufacturer that was enthusiastically accepted by all levels of staff.
• Contracted by The Hay Group International to deliver over 50 intensive executive development workshops including psychological testing, competency assessments and 360-feedback. Known for maintaining trust while delivering ‘tough news’ in sensitive situations with individuals and groups.

TALENT MANAGEMENT

• Measured and compared over 500 work climates to nationally ranked ‘optimal work environments’ using best-practice assessment methodology. Achieved 20% or more productivity increases where recommendations were followed. Improved bottom-line profitability results.
• Facilitated over 100 strategic planning executive retreats resulting in new performance management processes and feedback communication loops.
• Secured positive endorsement and support by all levels of management for change process that reduced non-value-added activity by $2.4 million.
• Partnered with McKinsey & Company to boost sales productivity and create sales force automation tools and new HR practices; improved selling “face time” and revenues increased $750 million.
• Wrote over 200 executive speeches, many receiving spontaneous employee applause.
• Deployed best-in-industry, on-line surveys to assess key factors impacting employee commitment.
• Closed low morale “gaps” through a variety of employee relation methods specifically designed for technical subject matter experts.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

• Persuaded senior management to institutionalize corporate change methodology; leading Senior VP of Reengineering declared, “This needs to be in the DNA of every manager.”
• Turned employee resistance to acceptance by using non-threatening, financial “game” leading VP of OD to report, “This single, low-cost initiative influenced acceptance of SAP throughout the world.”
• Increased inventory turns from 5 to 12 times annually reducing cost by $2.5 million.
• Received bonus for organizational needs assessment and solution implementation.
• Partnered with vendor to design new-hire orientation and staff reorientation programs utilizing entertainment to deliver critical messages, thereby improving voluntary employee attendance by 40%.
• Managed quarterly company communications utilizing culturally-appropriate humor and multi-media to engage staff, thereby improving employee retention of key messages by 30%.
• Increased revenue per man-hour by 35% or $4 million through horizontal work process redesign; broke down barriers between 3 functional silos utilizing customized change management practices.
• Assisted in leading a 1,440-person staff reduction program, 12% of the company’s work force. Mitigated litigation by training 300 managers how to lay off employees effectively.

WORK EXPERIENCE

LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE COMPANY, FOUNDER 1996 – Present

Facilitator/Consultant/C-Level Coach
Workshop Designer and Leader
Business Partner: Korn Ferry (formerly The Hay Group International)
(List of clients, projects and measured results available upon request.)

COMPAQ COMPUTER CORPORATION 1990 – 1995
Business Unit Executive Advisor, Headquarters
Global Change Management Strategist, SAP Implementation
Manager, Headquarter Training & Development Center for 6,000 employees
Senior Organizational Development Specialist, Workshop Leader

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON 1989 – 1990
Executive Outplacement Transition Center

EDUCATIONAL SABBATICAL 1987 – 1989
Received Master’s Degree in Organizational & H.R. Development

BARON DATA CORPORATION 1984 – 1986
Senior Sales Consultant: Industry Technology Transformation

XEROX CORPORATION 1981 – 1983
Sales Representative

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

M.A., Organization & Human Resource Development, University Associates, San Diego, CA. 1989
B.A., Organizational Communications, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO. 1980

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (17 CERTIFICATIONS)

Executive Performance Improvement, The Hay Group International (25 days)
Language of Leadership Mastery, Instructor Certification, Robert Stevens (20 days)
Executive Motivational Profiling, The Hay Group International (3 days)
Ontological Design. Work of Dr. Fernando Flores and Nathaniel Newby (2002 to present)
360 Competency Profiling, The Hay Group International (5 days)
Behavioral Event Interviewing, The Hay Group (5 days)
Major Account Planning & Selling, Acclivus (2 days)
Basic Selling, Powerbase Selling, Acclivus/Holden International (10 days)
Territory Planning & Management, Acclivus (2 days)
SYMLOG Teambuilding Instrument, Symlog Consulting Group (2 days)
Power & Organizational Systems, Barry Oshry, (3 days)
Coach Training for Performance Improvement, Martin Sage, (55 days)
Master Practioner in Linguistics, National Society of NLP (60 days)
Training for Coaches, Jerry Stocking (30 days, plus monthly sessions for 5 years)
Public Speaking Trainer, Executive Techniques (2 days)
Managing Personal Growth, Blessing White (3 days)
Myers-Briggs Temperament Instrument, Otto Kroeger & Associates (5 days)

AFFILIATIONS / AWARDS

Advisory Board Member & Founder, Pagosa Springs Waldorf School
Voted “Most Innovative Company Award” by Fast Company Group

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES